'I've Got The Bar Where It Should Be'

NHL careers are often fleeting.

If you don’t pause and truly soak in the great moments – as Blake Coleman did Friday, with his youngest daughter, Carson, roaming about in the Flames dressing room before clinging to his right hip – you might miss the best parts.

After all, life looks different now than it did back on Jan. 12, 2017, when he played a shade under 12 minutes in his long-awaited NHL debut as a member of the New Jersey Devils.

Two kids.

Two Cups.

And come Sunday, 500 games on his big-league resume.

“Not bad for a kid from Texas,” Coleman smiled of his impressive milestone. “It's cool – I'm excited. There are times where you reflect on your career and this is one where you look back and realize how quickly time's going.

“It’s definitely something I’m proud of.

“It all happened really quick – all in a two-year span, both girls. It's a little different being a family man than it was when you could just focus all on hockey and you could give all your time and energy to that. But it's fun to share it with them."

Coleman has been one of the great stories for the Flames this year, topping all skaters with 12 goals in his first 35 games, putting him on track to score 28 over a full, 82-game schedule.

His 24 points are second only to Nazem Kadri, while his four shorthanded markers are second-best, league-wide.

But in a way, that’s all a bonus.

What Coleman prides himself on is being a responsible, two-way player that looks after things in his own end first, even if his goal-scoring pedigree – which, initially, surfaced when he won the USHL scoring title in 2011 – screams otherwise.

No other Flame scored more goals in 2023, with his 24 tucks beating out the sharp-shooting Tyler Toffoli, Kadri and captain Mikael Backlund, who tickled the twine 19 times over the same, 79-game stretch.

“It's cool,” Coleman admits. “I expect that of myself. I feel like this is back on pace (to) where I should be and feel back to myself. It was a little frustrating not getting to that level the first two years.

“This is just my expectation and now everyone in Calgary knows what it's about and I've got the bar where it should be.

“I've always prided myself on (how) scoring was kind of a bonus in my game. Obviously, the more you can score, the more you can help contribute. The way I look at my game, I want to be a plus player – not necessarily plus-minus, but affecting more offence than I'm giving up defensively. When you can skew the numbers even further that way, it means I'm doing a pretty good job. I'm happy that pucks are going in.”

While it isn’t the only reason for Coleman’s offensive breakthrough, a clean bill of health has gone a long way in helping him feel more like ‘himself.’ Some nagging injuries emanating from Tampa’s back-to-back Cup runs were finally addressed over the off-season, putting the 32-year-old in a better physical state than he ever has been at this level.

To supplement, few work harder and put more hours in the gym over the summer months. 

And thanks to the softer schedule college hockey is known for, debuting at the age of 24 means Coleman has less wear on the chassis that many others do at this age.

“Even if you take that stuff (the procedures) out of it, I feel great,” he said. “I feel as good or better than Day 1 in the league – whether that's from college and maybe the less amount of games played, or a lot of strength work I do. Maybe that's part of it. 

“But I like to think I'm still low-mileage – still got some good years left,” he adds with a smile.

Prime years, in fact. 

While Sunday promises to be a special night for the entire family, Coleman’s parents are unable to attend due to a prior commitment. 

No matter. 

They, too, have as much faith in their son’s longevity as the man himself who’s made the shift into overdrive.

“Now, they told me I've got to make it to 1,000,” Coleman laughed. 

By then, you can only imagine the wealth of knowledge the already cerebral Coleman will have collected.

And it’s these milestones that reveal what kind of leader he’s become. 

Look no further than his relationship with his penalty-killing partner, Yegor Sharangovich. In addition to their immediate bond (or ESP) on the ice, the two have become close pals off it, too. 

Willing and eager to give back and help others along the journey, that’s not just the player – but the person – Blake Coleman is.

“I think when you care about somebody, instinctively, you play better, you care, and you play for that guy,” he said. “Sharky reminds me a lot of myself when I was that age. I had a guy that I killed with and played with when I was younger in Travis Zajac. We had a lot of success on the kill as well. I felt he really cared about me and vice-versa. I learned a lot from him my early years in Jersey. 

“Not that Sharky's a super young guy, but he's new enough that he's kind of in that same role and it feels good to play the other side of it. 

“He's obviously just a very talented player as well, so it makes it pretty easy for me.”